1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bra accessories. More specifically, the present invention relates to aids for assisting users in putting a bra on.
Putting on a conventional bra is a very onerous task for women who lack the ability to fully use one of their arms. Conventional bras are designed to be put on by the user reaching behind her back and clasping the ends of the back bra strap together using both arms simultaneously. This design makes conventional bras very difficult to use for women who cannot use both of their arms because the clasping mechanism was not designed with their handicap in mind.
Some bras attempt to address these issues by having an extra strap or cord attached to a portion of the bra, which helps women with one arm position the opposing side of the bra that they are otherwise unable to reach. However, this forces these women to only purchase this specific type of bra. Bras designed to be put on using only one hand is a relatively niche market, thus women forced to use these types of bras have fewer options available to them. Therefore, there is a need in the prior art for a bra assistive device that allows users who have only one arm or who otherwise lack the requisite level of dexterity in one arm to put on a conventional bra.
A device for assisting users in putting on conventional bras using only one hand is provided. The present invention comprises a base portion that can be secured between a user's knees or thighs for additional support, an elongated shaft portion supporting an integrally-attached first connector and a strap adjuster portion, and a strap extending through the strap adjuster and connected at one end to a second connector. The device is used by securing one of the free ends of the bra strap in each of the connectors. The second connector, along with the free end of the bra strap secured by that connector, is disconnected and the user then uses his operative arm to place the strap over her head and around her opposing shoulder and arm so that the bra is positioned behind the user around her waist. In this position, the bra clasp is situated directly in front of the user. The user can then grasp the free end of the bra strap held by the second connector and clasp it with the opposing free end of the bra strap, which is conveniently held securely in position before the user by the first connector. Once the two free ends of the bra strap are connected together, the bra can then be rotated about the user's torso and pulled up in position by the user. The present invention thereby provides a simple and convenient means for clasping a bra for users that only have the use of one of their arms.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to clothing or clothing accessories designed for disabled individuals. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to articles of clothing that have cords, allowing them to be more easily pulled into position. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
One such device is U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,568 to Blanckmeister, which discloses a therapeutic bra designed to be easily put on by partially disabled individuals. Blanckmeister comprises a standard bra design with a draw tape detachably connected to the bra's back strap. Blanckmeister provides a bra that can be put on without the individual having to reach beyond her back and requires only a minimal amount of dexterity to use. The present invention, on the other hand, provides a stand that can be used to put any type of bra on and does not restrict the user to the specific type of bra disclosed in Blanckmeister.
Another such device is JP 2007209723 to Iwahara, which discloses a detachable aid for putting on socks, comprising a pair of straps that have clips disposed at one end and are attached to a handle at the other end. The present invention also utilizes a strap that has a detachable connector at one end, but the strap of the present invention is adjustable and the present invention further utilizes a base to which the user can apply her to weight to for further assistance in putting her bra on.
DE 283730 to Retzlaff further discloses a strap having a removable connector and a cord, but as with Iwahara, it fails to disclose a base portion and is not adapted for use with a bra.
The present invention provides a bra assistive device that aids users who only have the use of one of their arms in putting a conventional bra on. The present invention can be used with any type of bra and does not require that users alter their bras in any way or purchase a specific type of non-conventional bra. The present bra assistive device comprises a base portion that has a contour or contours adapted to receive a user's knees or thighs, a shaft portion extending therefrom, a first connector integrally attached to a vertical position on the shaft, a strap adjuster, a strap extending through the strap adjuster, and a second connector disposed at one of the ends of the strap. Furthermore, an overlay is preferably disposed on the strap adjacent to the second connector. The overlay is designed to hold the second connector in an upright position against the shaft when the strap is pulled through the strap adjuster up to the edge of the overlay. The connectors are designed to accept opposing free ends of a bra strap. The second connector is removable from the shaft, allowing the portion of the bra connected to it to be positioned around the user's back while the other portion of the bra strap is held in place by the first connector. Once the second connector is in position, the free end of the strap held within the second connector can then be secured to the opposing free end of the bra strap, which is conveniently held before the user by the first connector. Once the opposing free ends of the bra strap are connected together, the bra can then be repositioned as normal. The present invention may further comprise a recessed portion disposed at the top of the base portion for holding the strap component when not in use. The present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing clothing assistive devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.